The man in the narrative has had a relationship with his mat almost four decades; 38 years to be exact! Note that the narrative begins with the man lying ill on his mat and ends with the man made well, standing up, and walking with his mat. (Structural exegetes will have a field day dealing with this pericope!)
I am pretty sure that many people asked Schulz to do a strip where Linus eventually lets go of his security blanket. I am also pretty sure that many people probably expected Jesus to tell the man to let go of his mat. In sickness and in heallth, even Jesus celebrated the man's special bond with his mat.
One person's junk is another one's treasure. We all have "mats" that we hold dear, that accompany us through the highs and lows of our lives, that make us feel safe, secure, at "home."
Dear Friends, I am pretty sure that many of us have been lying on our mats, feeling terribly ill, since the May 9th National Elections. Soon, we will hear a still small voice, whispering: "Stand up, take your mat, and walk!"
#IAmWithJesus
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*image from freebibleimages (Jesus and the Lame Man at the Pool of Bethesda).
